Analysts proving their lack of knowledge by overblowing the suspensions. If we lose, browner and thurmond missing time will NOT be why.

Actually, I somewhat disagree with you. Not about the "analysts", they always overblow this kind of stuff based on their own personal and network agendas.

But I do feel like these suspensions could, in part, cost us this game. First, this is a distraction for the team, no matter what the players tell the media. Having 2 members of this team make such a selfish decision will definitely have an effect on the rest of the team.

Second, both players were contributors. There is a reason Browner was a starter. Obviously we all know he's not the best corner in the league, but he fits our system and his strengths allow the team to run certain schemes. Thurmond was going to step in and fill his role. So now we're down to playing guys that were really just backups. No matter how good we think they are or how much potential they have, they are still just backups in the coaches eyes.

Third, the area that this hits us in, CB, is an area the Saints offense will target hard because they throw the ball a lot. They create mismatches and take advantage of weak secondaries. Now the 'Hawks are going in with a very depleted secondary and guys are playing out of their normal comfort zone.

These factors could have a variety of factors on the game. With a depleted secondary, we may not be able to effectively or consistently stop the Saints on 3rd down. Our defense may wear down and we might give up points that we normally wouldn't. If Brees gets confidence early, he could really light up anyone in the league. Matt Schaub torched this defense earlier this year, anyone remember that? Brees and the Saints offense is far better than that.

If we lose this game, it won't be solely based on these suspensions, but I'm not going to underestimate the effect they will have on this game._________________Consistent application beats complex programming.

I respect your perspective, but I have to disagree. For one, Browner was going to miss this game regardless (out for at least a month with that hammy). Secondly, Thurmond was a solid contributor, though i wouldn't go as far as to say he was a key guy. We aren't suddenly shutting the Saints down simply because Walt is on the field.

IMO we're going to win this game by controlling the clock and forcing key turnovers. The saints are going to get theirs, even if this team is at full strength defensively, just as they do with every team. We still have Maxwell, who's more physical than thurmond and is not a liability in coverage. At the Nickel spot we may be hurt IMO, but it won't be the difference._________________

The four-game suspension of cornerback Walter Thurmond and the possible yearlong suspension of cornerback Brandon Browner mean the Seattle Seahawks now have had six players since 2011 suspended for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy. Some suspensions followed positive tests for performance enhancing drugs. Some followed positive tests of other banned substances. Browner is appealing his suspension, which follows the four-game suspension he served last season. A seventh player, the wickedly talented cornerback Richard Sherman, had his four-game suspension last season overturned.

Even so, that's a lot of drug suspensions.
Carroll's reaction to it on Tuesday: Stuff happens.

"We're very disappointed those guys will not be able to play with us," Carroll said. "It's kind of how it goes at times. I don't know that we can expect to be perfect. We'd like to be, but that isn't the case. You want guys to be on point, but sometimes you're going to be disappointed. It's not about what pops up, it's about how you deal with it and overcome it."

Or how about how you prevent it from happening in the first place?

Something is amiss in Seattle, and Carroll needs to be more than just disappointed that he's losing two contributors to his second-ranked defense. The Seahawks are the best team in football. At 10-1, they have the best record in the league. They have the ultimate home-field advantage playing at CenturyLink Field, where they haven't lost a game in 13 tries since Russell Wilson became the quarterback at the start of last season.

Seattle probably will be playing for home-field advantage Monday night when it hosts the equally formidable New Orleans Saints. Win, and the Seahawks will be on target to host throughout the playoffs, which would give them the easiest path to the winter classic that will be Super Bowl XLVIII in North Jersey.

But to do it, Seattle will have to face Drew Brees and his precise passing attack without Thurmond opposite Sherman. Browner, who has appealed his suspension, was nursing a groin injury and would not have played anyway. Thurmond was his replacement. Byron Maxwell, a sixth-round pick of the Seahawks in 2011 out of Clemson, will make his first career start against the Saints.

Seattle is ridiculously deep at cornerback and thus should be able to withstand the loss of Thurmond and Browner, but that should not dilute the issue. Carroll needs to do something to ensure that his message of personal accountability and always protecting the team gets through. Clearly, it hasn't. Otherwise Thurmond and Browner would have realized the opportunity the Seahawks have to get to and win the Super Bowl. Those opportunities don't come around every day.

Instead of voicing his disappointment, Carroll should have been enraged. Instead of preaching the value of allowing second chances and supporting players when they make mistakes, he should have issued a zero-tolerance policy. He should have put everyone on blast: players, trainers, equipment guys, assistants or anyone else who would know, or should know, what substances players are putting in their bodies.

It's one thing to rely on team leaders to police the locker room. It was beneficial to have veterans like fullback Michael Robinson demand guys stop making these mistakes, as he did after second-year linebacker Bruce Irvin was popped with a four-game suspension in May for using performance-enhancing drugs. It was worthwhile for veteran wide receiver Golden Tate to go on the radio in Seattle as he did Tuesday and call Thurmond and Browner "selfish."
But the message needs to come from the head coach. He is ultimately accountable, just as Joe Philbin must be held accountable for the Richie Incognito-Jonathan Martin imbroglio, just as Sean Payton was held accountable for the New Orleans bounty program and just as Bill Belichick was held accountable for Spygate.

We'll always look to give guys a second chance around here," Carroll told the media Tuesday. "The fact that the league has adjusted the rules allowing a guy who is suspended under these circumstances to be with us, we're going to take care of them and look after them until we get them back.

Disappointed is the best way to say it. We try to coach them and guide them and mentor them in every way we can. When guys have an issue, we are going to take responsibility for helping them. … I've always been hopeful in finding the best in them. Sometimes it works out, and sometimes it doesn't."

Carroll is the ultimate players' coach. He is energetic and supportive and fun. He has a team full of young guys who trust in their abilities, play with moxie and have found the middle ground between confidence and arrogance. In just his fourth season, Carroll has turned the Seahawks into a legitimate, formidable Super Bowl contender.

But given the repeated drug suspensions that have affected his team in the past three years, Carroll must do more. He must take a hard-line approach. He needs every player to be all-in, and clearly all aren't.

RENTON—About midway through Jimmy Graham’s rookie NFL season in 2010, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees knew they had something in the unrefined tight end.

Graham had done little the opening seven weeks, which wasn’t surprising because he only played one season of college football at Miami, spending most of his time on the basketball court.

At 6-foot-7 and 265 pounds his pose-worthy muscular frame was enticing despite his meager football résumé. The hand-eye coordination and leaping ability he developed from basketball gave the Saints enough belief in his potential that they made Graham a third-round pick.

In his first eight games, Graham had eight catches. He had 23 in his next eight games, including his first NFL touchdown in Week 8.

“That’s when you noticed that this guy could do some things,” Brees said.

The Seahawks will be paying particular attention to Graham on Monday night when the Saints come to Seattle.

After the humdrum start to his career, Graham has caught 99, 85 and, this year, 65 passes, in each respective season. He has 36 career touchdowns and has been targeted 99 times this year by Brees.

“It takes everything that we have to slow a guy down like this,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said.

The Saints will move Graham often. He motions out wide, lines up in the slot, and comes from the traditional tight end alignment.

His prowess stems from his staggering blend of size and mobility. Separation from a defender is not a prerequisite for

Brees to throw to Graham. The only requirement is for Graham to be on the field.

“(Brees) knows that he can throw the ball at him, with coverage all over him and he can still make plays,” Carroll said. “He really is a fast guy, as well. They totally know how to use his talents and (Brees) understands it as well. That’s the most important part; he can get the ball to him. So we have to cover him in multiple ways.”

The New England Patriots used a specific tact in Week 6 to hold Graham to zero receptions for the first time in almost three years.

They put cornerback Aqib Talib up on the line of scrimmage to jam Graham, often leaving Talib by himself despite a 5-inch height disadvantage and 60-pound weight deficit.

Talib shoved Graham at the line, then often afterward, too. He pushed, pressed, grabbed and sometimes held.

That approach is an option for the Seahawks.

“The way he just stood there for his challenge, he didn’t back off, he didn’t soft shoe; he just stood there and fought with him the whole game,” Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman said of Talib. “I think you can take some away from that, but I think schematically we’re a totally different defense so we’ll play them totally different. We try not to tailor our whole defense towards one person.”

The Seahawks have a strong belief in their base defense, which means Graham should often be faced by strong safety Kam Chancellor.

Chancellor is bigger, badder and more ornery than Talib. At 232 pounds, he has the might to push back at Graham.

Graham is the torch-bearer now for the basketball player turned Pro Bowl tight end.

Atlanta’s Tony Gonzalez preceded San Diego’s Antonio Gates who preceded Graham. Gonzalez played basketball at Cal and Gates played at Kent State.

Gates did not play college football. He was open-wound raw when he showed up at Chargers camp in 2003.

“Watching him put his hand in the dirt it looked like he had no clue,” said Brees, who was the San Diego quarterback at the time. “But, he had an athletic gift and a feel for the game where when he turned around in the middle of the field it was like he was posting somebody up.

“It took Gates about five to six months before you were like, OK this guy is starting to figure it out. With Jimmy, you saw the athletic ability, you saw some of those natural gifts and instincts (right away).”

Gonzalez is the patriarch of the basketball tight end prototype. This is his 17th season in the league, and he’s a 13-time Pro Bowl selection.

Chancellor shadowed Gonzalez in the Seahawks’ Week 10 win in Atlanta, restricting him to three catches for 29 yards.

“I wouldn’t say he has hands like Gonzalez,” Chancellor said. “(Gonzalez) catches like 80, 85 percent of what’s in his area. I wouldn’t put (Graham’s) hands up there with Gonzalez’s, but he has good hands also.”

Despite that, Graham has plenty to keep the Seahawks occupied.

“We’ll try to slow him down the best we can and keep him from controlling the game,” Carroll said.

After playing this most physically taxing game, after a quiet dinner with his fiancee, when he could just kick-back and luxuriate in a job well done, Cliff Avril starts thinking of ways to make himself better.

Before the next day’s official “film” session, he watches the TV copy of that day’s Seattle Seahawks’ game, watches it like a coach, studies it for flaws and harshly criticizes his performance. Mere hours after the latest Seahawks’ win, the defensive end already is thinking ahead, discovering where he needs to improve during the next week’s practices.

“I like to see what I could have done better,” Avril said. “Maybe I’ll look at the good plays, who knows? But I’m mostly looking to see what I need to work on.”

Avril is demanding. He’s his own drill sergeant. It’s his voice he hears in practice, growling at him like some moody Mike Ditka. It’s his heart that’s pushing him to get to the quarterback more often, to beat the lineman in front of him, to make even more plays.

In his first season as a Seahawk, his sixth season in the NFL, Avril is having another very good year and, almost certainly, the only person in the locker room who doesn’t believe that, is Cliff Avril.

“I think if you start feeling content, that’s when you stop getting better,” Avril said between practices this week before the mega-Monday night meeting with New Orleans. “My goals for myself are pretty high and if I can achieve them, which I haven’t yet, I’ll definitely be very happy with my season.”

Avril is hard on himself. After games fiancée, Tia, tells him, “You played a great game,” but Avril just gives her what he calls, “The Look.” She’ll ask something like, “Ok, what did you do wrong?” and his typical response will be, “I could have had one more sack,” or “I should have made that tackle.”

“I do have that problem,” Avril said. “It’s rare that I come home from a game here and I’m like, ‘Wow we dominated and I played great at the same time.’ There’s rarely a game where it’s like that. But that’s what drives me.”

Imagine how frustrated Avril was when he first came to the Seahawks as a free agent, after five seasons with the Detroit Lions. Like just about everybody on this team, he came to Seattle believing he had something more to prove. He told himself that all this team really knew about him were his numbers – 8.5 sacks in 2010, 11 in 2011, 9.5 last season.

Players and coaches didn’t know what was inside of him. They didn’t know if he worked hard. They didn’t know if he shared their hunger to get better. With his new team, this became a show-me season for Avril.

But after he signed, he battled plantar fasciitis in the spring and four days into training camp, he pulled his hamstring.

“It’s been pretty frustrating since I signed here, honestly,” he said. “Just battling through all the injuries and not being able to be out there with my teammates and being able to build that trust was difficult. When you come to a new team and you’re hurt. You definitely don’t feel like you’re part of the team.

“You’re not out there practicing. They don’t know what you can do. You might be a pass rusher, but you haven’t proven that to them. You’re still trying to get a feel for everything that’s going on. It’s still a growing process. Even 11-12 weeks in, we’re still trying to get to know each other. It’s a steady progression. I just continue to keep getting better and hopefully they’ll start having a little faith in me.”

Um, Cliff, your teammates know you now. They’ve seen the same game film you’ve seen. But they’ve seen it with different eyes. They have faith in you. In your 10 games, you are tied with Michael Bennett for the team in lead in sacks with 6.5. You’ve forced three fumbles and made 15 tackles. You’ve been part of a pass rush that has been one of the gems of this lockdown defense that is tied for second in the league in points allowed per game (16.3).

You’re a perfect fit for this team that is stocked with Pro Bowlers and veterans who are never satisfied and always feel they have to re-prove themselves every week, every practice, every game.

“Nobody has higher expectations for themselves that I do anyway,” Avril said. “If I can get anywhere near where my expectations for me are, then I’m pretty sure everybody else will be happy with me. I don’t like giving out my goals, but I can tell you I’m not there yet. Numbers are part of my goals because that’s what everybody sees. If I feel like I’m playing great, but the numbers aren’t there, the coaches see that. My goals are about sacks and just being productive.”

Asked to assess his first 10 games as a Seahawk (he missed the opener in Carolina because of his hamstring pull), Avril, as always, was his own worst critic.

“I’ve been Ok,” he said with a hard laugh. “You have to be hard on yourself. That’s the only way you get to six years in the NFL. I didn’t start off this season the way I wanted to. Honestly, I really just got the hamstring injury behind me a few weeks ago. But now I want to finish strong.”

In his five seasons with the Detroit, the Lions won only 22 of their 80 games. As a free agent this winter, Avril, 27, was looking for something much better. The Seahawks’ 10-1 start has been that something.

“It was definitely more than money,” Avril said of his free agent search. “With the DBs (defensive backs) we have here, any d-lineman would want to rush with those guys. They give you that much more time to get to the quarterback. We work hand in hand. If those guys can cover just a split longer, I can get sacks or maybe I can tip a ball to them and they can get an interception. Hand-in-hand.

“I like the way things are going here. The guys are definitely into it. They love what they do. Everybody plays for each other more so than just for money or whatever and that’s very unique, very unique, no doubt. This is a lot of fun. I’m having a blast.”

Athletes can learn from Cliff Avril’s harsh self-criticism. There’s a message in his madness.

Now that I’m retired from column writing at The Seattle Times, I’m helping out with Liberty High School’s boys’ basketball program. I’m finding there are messages I can pass on to the Liberty players from the interviews I’ve had with the Seahawks’ players.

The Hawks have lived the lessons that our coaching staff is teaching. The Seahawks don’t just talk about getting better, they work at it relentlessly. They don’t just talk about having something to prove. They go out and prove it.

I asked Avril what I should tell the team.

“One thing is, you have to have fun,” said Avril, who like many Seahawks played high school basketball. “But having fun for me means getting better than everyone else on your team and everyone else in your area,” he said. “Have fun playing the game, but have fun getting better. When you see the results of your hard work, that’s what’s going to make you happy.”
In his sixth year in the league, Cliff Avril continues to get better, even if he doesn’t always believe it.

*New Orleans TE Josh Hill prepped at Blackfoot (Idaho) High School and then played at both Boise State and Idaho State.

*Saints FB Jed Collins played at Washington State.

*Saints ILB David Hawthorne was signed by Seattle as an undrafted free agent in 2008 and spent four seasons with the Seahawks, eventually evolving into a valued starter for the Seahawks defense and the club’s leading tackler in 2010 and 2011.

*Hawthorne and Seahawks LS Clint Gresham were also college teammates at Texas Christian University. Gresham spent the 2010 offseason with the Saints after he was signed as an undrafted free agent.

*Saints WR Nick Toon and Seahawks QB Russell Wilson were college teammates at the University of Wisconsin in 2011.

*New Orleans Executive Vice President/General Manager Mickey Loomis spent 15 years with Seattle, most recently as Executive Vice President from 1992-98. He originally joined the Seahawks in October 1983, as the team’s business manager and was promoted to Vice President/finance in 1990.

*Saints Director of Operations James Nagaoka served on the Seahawks staff for 22 years, holding a wide spectrum of responsibilities including managing the club’s ticket operations and sales efforts and handling their travel.

*New Orleans Director of College Scouting Rick Reiprish served on the Seahawks scouting staff from 1984-94.

*Saints Area Scout Mike Baugh is a graduate of Central Washington University, who spent eight years in various capacities with the Seahawks from 1992-99 before joining the Saints scouting staff in 2000.

*Seattle Defensive Line Coach Travis Jones served as Assistant Defensive Line Coach in New Orleans from 2008-12.

*New Orleans Assistant Head Coach/Linebackers Joe Vitt spent 10 seasons with the Seahawks (1982-91), holding several titles during that stretch. Vitt and Seahawks Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach Jamie Yanchar served on the same coaching staff with the Los Angeles Rams from 1992-94.

*New Orleans area scout Terry Wooden was a second round draft pick of theSeahawks in 1990 and played for Seattle from 1990-96.

*Saints Pro Scout Ryan Powell is a native of Bend, Ore., who played linebacker at Linfield College and later served on their coaching staff. Powell also worked for the Seahawks for three summers (1998-2000) as a training camp assistant.

*New Orleans Defensive Assistant Marcus Ungaro is a graduate of Washington State and a native of Sammamish, Wash.

*Saints Offensive Line Coach Bret Ingalls is a native of Snohomish, Wash., who graduated from the University of Idaho in 1984 and served on their coaching staff from 1982-88. Ingalls and Seahawks Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Line Tom Cable served on the same coaching staff with the Vandals from 1987-88 and the two and New Orleans Head Coach Sean Payton served on the same coaching staff at San Diego State in 1989.

*Saints Defensive Coordinator Rob Ryan, Cable and Seahawks Special Teams Coordinator Brian Schneider served on the same coaching staff in Oakland from 2007-08.

*New Orleans Head Strength & Conditioning Coach Dan Dalrymple went to training camp with the Seahawks in 1987.

(On playing a big game against the Saints this late into the season…) “Well you know like I always say, ‘Every game is a big game’, that’s the way I look at it. It doesn’t change for me or any guy on our team but I think the biggest thing for us is that’s what we expect, that’s what we hope for. We hope for big time games, big match ups that mean a lot. A lot of possibilities with this game and then so one of the things that you focus on is just having a great week of practice, focus on the fundamentals. Coming back from the bye week, that’s the biggest thing that we’ve been focusing on, is our fundamentals, holding the ball high and tight, making sure that we’re taking care of the football, making sure our communication is great. All of those things play a huge roll into a big game and when you play in big games, if you could slow the game down, slow the game down mentally and physically, but slow the game down mentally more than anything, the better off you’ll be.”

(On the key trait of the offenses’ success last year towards the end of the season…) “In terms of last year, I believe our offense continued to take off and continue to grow because of our consistent approach to everything. Our biggest goal and my goal is to progress from week in to week out and so just continuing to grow fundamentally. Also, in terms of our play calls, of making sure that I understand what’s going on, just the reads are so much sharper, understanding your receivers, your tight ends, your running backs, and you just get into a flow. So offensively, our biggest thing is trying to be in a flow, be in a great rhythm throughout the game, making sure we’re getting protected up, making sure we’re getting the ball out quick, making sure the guys are making the game altering plays when they’re there. So I believe that we’ve done a really great job of that so far this year and we just need to continue to do that. It’s going be a big game for us. It’s a very, very good defense that flies around, makes a lot of plays, and their defensive coordinator, Rob Ryan, he’s a great coach. Knows what he’s doing. So it would be a great game. So our biggest thing though is to stay focused on us and what we can do to control the football game.”

(On the question he had to ask Brees when he met him…) “Well one of the things that I asked him, in terms of talking to Drew [Brees] that I had to ask was, ‘What separated yourself from year one to year two and then from year two to the rest of your career?’ What really made you accelerate your process of being a great football player and the biggest thing he said is, ‘my approach every day.’ It’s one of those things that he said that, ‘Every day I walk into the locker room, every day that I wake up, it’s a constant grind to try to improve myself. Whether if it’s in the weight room, whether it’s my flexibility, whether if it’s my reads, no matter what it is, I have a purpose to the day. So it’s the same the philosophy that I’ve always thought, but it’s also good to hear it from a guy that’s going to be a hall of famer, a guy that’s one of the best quarterbacks that’s ever played the game and so you have a lot of respect for that.”

(On not leaving a team like Brees did…) “Yeah hopefully not. Yeah.”

(On his perception of Brees…) “Before I met drew Brees, I had read his books. I had read his book twice coming back stronger. I really got to know him through that, really watched tons of film on him, watched a lot of his interviews and all that. But when you meet him, he’s just so poised, he’s so patient, he’s so understanding, but he’s also has a sense of urgency to himself about everything that he does. He’s very disciplined in his approach. When you see that… I remember back when I had my first Pro Bowl practice and you know, we’d have walk through and we’d practice for 45 minutes and we get there and Drew Brees is the number one quarterback, Eli [Manning] is number two, and I’m number three. You got Larry Fitzgerald in the huddle; you got Vincent Jackson, all those guys. The Julio Jones and Jason Witten is in there, you got Jeff Saturday, Drew Brees is the quarterback, Adrian Peterson is the ruining back and I’m just kind of standing there looking and just observing and just how he brought all those guys in to the huddle and just got all of their attention so quickly, by the inflection in his voice, by the determination that he had to simply win the Pro Bowl. Just all those things go into a being a great football player and being a great quarterback. Like I’ve always said to you guys, I’m sure I’ve said it before is that, ‘Great quarterbacks have leadership, great attention to detail, and they have a relentless competitive nature. So those three things, he brings to the table and you respect that for sure.”

(On the humility aspect of Brees…) “Yeah Drew Bress is very, very humble because he knows he puts the wok in every day. He knows that God has really gifted him with a lot of talent, with a great mind, with a great understanding of the game of football and just life in general. So he gives a lot of credit to his players, but he also makes those other ten guys better in the huddle and that’s what makes him such a great quarterback.”

(On when he first saw Brees play…) “When did I first see Drew Brees play? In college at some point, when he was playing at Purdue. I do remember though the Wisconsin game they had where he threw the ball like 89 times or something. So I remember watching that game. My dad used to always tell me, ‘Man you got to watch this guy Drew Brees from Purdue.’ I was like, ‘Who is Drew Brees. Where’s Purdue at?’ I didn’t know where Purdue was. I’m from Virginia. I didn’t know where Purdue was and then I realized that I’m in the Big 10 and everything and they were throwing the ball a ton with him in the shotgun, 4-wide, 5-wide and he was just killing teams. So that’s when I really started watching Drew Brees. He was similar in stature, had a great arm, very accurate with the football, could move really well too at the same time. So he was a guy that you’d definitely watch.”

(On what he takes away from Brees in terms of Brees’ mechanics…) “I don’t think that mechanically, what have I mirrored from him, I think we’re very similar actually, just ironically. I never really tried to study his mechanics exactly. I think everybody throws the ball a little bit different for whatever reason. But we actually throw the ball very similar I think because its baseball background, you kind of throw the ball quick the same way. I think also that he gets rid of the ball very quickly and so that’s one of the things that I’ve always worked on and just watched him do, which I’ve always tried to improve as well. But you know footwork-wise, we’re very similar too. I think that’s just natural though. You know, I wouldn’t say that I just picked him out and that was the only guy I’d watch. It was just one of those things that I kind of studied him and also just fit in with what I was doing already. So I just continued to try to grow off of what he does.

(On making adjustments to staying in the pocket longer; to allow a play to develop rather than scrambling out of the pocket…) “I think the biggest thing is you want to trust your pocket always, you want to trust you guys up front and they’re doing a tremendous job for me. So the thing is with me, I want to get the ball out, I want to extend the play, I want to get the big play, but also make the smart play. So it’s a happy medium. It’s one of those things that it’s a fine line and we make some big p-lays. I remember I scrambled out of the pocket, I probably could’ve hit a guy underneath earlier, but I also got out and hit Ricardo Lockette on a huge scrambling play. So it’s one of those things that I just trust my instincts. I don’t really think about it too much. When I’m in there, I trust my guys, I trust that they’re going to do a great blocking for me and just play the game and just trust that.”

(On the weather being an advantage for the Seahawks playing against the Saints…) “Yeah I think the biggest thing for us, in terms of the weather; we don’t want the weather to be a factor at all. Whether it’s offensively, we want to protect the football at all cost. Whether its defensive side of the ball, we want to try to get the ball from them because of the weather. But at the same time, we don’t worry about it. We just go back out there and play the game the way it’s supposed to be played. I think that your conscience is a little bit more aware just because of the situation. if it’s a sloppy game and it should be. But at the same time, you just want to go out there and just trust what you do. So we’re going to be aware of it more so in practice than anything else. I think when you’re practicing, you really have to make sure guys are holding it high and tight, making sure they’re catching the ball with their hands and doing all the things it takes to protect the football.”

(On Rob Ryan’s successful defense this season…) “Well coach Rob Ryan, he’s a tremendous coach. He’s been around the league for a long period of time; he’s got a great family background. He really understands what he’s doing he really gets his guys fired up. You notice that when you just watch the games live. He has his guys fired up, they fly around, they trust in what they’re doing, he puts a lot of pressure on the quarterback, he does some great things. They’re players are very, very good athletes. It’s going to be a good game for us; it’s going to be a test for sure. We’re excited about that. We’re going to be prepared for that situation. So if we can capitalize on those moments, then we’ll be successful. But like I said, he’s a great coach. I’m not surprised at all about his success.”

(On if he and Brees ever talked about being overlooked by critics…) “When Brees and I talked, have we talked about being overlooked? Not too much. I think the thing that we have in common, yeah the size and all that stuff. But I think the thing that we have in common is we believe in ourselves. So it doesn’t matter what anybody would’ve ever thought. Doesn’t matter what anybody would’ve thought if we were going to be number one pick overall or the last pick; it’s one of those things that when you have confidence in yourself, nobody can affect you. Nobody can slow you down and when you have that mentality and you bring that to the table for all the other guys on the team, they feel that. They sense that. Yeah we’ve talked about it a little bit, just fueling our fire I guess you could say, but not too much.”

(On if he stresses the ‘ignore the noise’ phrase more this week than ever before…) “The biggest thing for us, in terms of ignoring the noise is not turning the TV on, not watching all the stuff that everybody says about us. I walk into the cafeteria this morning and they’re talking on ESPN about me or whatever, I just walk right back out. I honestly do. I even told I think Bobby Wagner and maybe Earl [Thomas] or somebody else was sitting in there, they we’re talking about me. I said, ‘I got to go.’ It’s one of those things that I really try not to be in the room at the same time. So if in can stay focused on our game and we can stay focused on us, that gives us a chance to be very successful. The great thing for us is even though, despite the defensive backs, a coupe, of them being out, the next guy can step up. We have tons of talent. Coach Carroll, John Schneider our GM, and Paul Allen, they do a great job of bringing the right players in, with the right mind set, with the great attitude in terms of how we play and how we practice and hopefully we could bring that to another level this week.”

(On if ignoring the noise is the reason why he does not make this game bigger than it should be…) “Yeah it’s the same thing. I look at the same pressures, base pressures, the nickel pressures, I look at the red zone, I look at the third down, I look at the two minute situations, I look at all that and it doesn’t change. It’s one of those things that you just stay focused on the moment, you stay focused on the situations and at the same time though, I don’t shy away from a big game. It’s one of those things that I want to step up; I want to play at the highest level. I think that great players make big time players in big situations. So I think that’s what our goal is but at the same time, stay focused on the moment, stay focused on the fundamentals. When you can do that and you can ease your mind on that and have peace from the way you practice and when you hit the field come game time, that’s when you have your really good games. So that’s what we’re trying to do.”

(On if focusing on the moment is the reason why the Seahawks are 10 and 1…) “I think we’re 10 and 1 because we focus on the moment. Yeah we focus on the moment, we have our mind set being 1 and 0 every week, having a championship week, we focus on the fundamentals, we focus on having a competitive practice where we bring the heat every single day offensively and defensively, and because of our coaching staff. The work that they put in in terms of the early mornings, the late nights and then our fans. Playing with our fans home or away. You think about the Arizona game, you think about all the other games we’ve played on the road, there are so many fans there and we can hear them throughout the game. So that’s big for us. Our 12th Man fans are unbelievable and we love that about them and we know this game will be a huge game. I know they’re trying to break the world record again. So we’ll see what happens.”

(On if there’s been a moment where he felt like he didn’t prepare for a game enough…) “There has never really been a moment where I’ve ever been nervous, if you’re asking me that. I never been nervous when I play a game. I’d say that there’s never really been a moment where I didn’t prepare; there’s been moments where I felt like, ‘Man. I could’ve done a little bit more’ and then I’ve noticed the difference. It’s never been bad. Never been like, ‘Awe. I’m not going to look at that today’ or whatever. But it’s one of those things that the more I learn, the more I grow from… If I think back to my freshman year in college, I knew so much more my sophomore year and how to study, compared to my freshman year and it’s the same thing being here for the Seahawks. If last year was considered my freshman year, my rookie year, I’ve learned so much more and I’ve learned how to really get my organization together in terms of what I’m looking at and how I’m looking at and why I’m looking at it. So the more I can understand what the defense is trying to do and why they’re trying to do it, the better off I am and I understand our offense a lot better and it gives us a good chance.”

(On the balance between scrambling with the ball and not wanting to get hit…) “In terms of running the ball and scrambling and all that, it’s not too tough for me. I’ve been doing it for a long time. So I think for me, it’s just making the smart decision. It’s about our football, knowing the situation, being a great situational quarterback. There’s time where you have to take risks, there’s times where it’s fourth and one and you may have to run and get it. There’s all those situations, but I think the thing is making the smart situation during that situation, if that makes any sense.”

In theory, the New Orleans Saints should be licking their chops after the Seattle Seahawks lost their No. 2 and No. 3 cornerbacks to suspensions this past week. But that isn’t the case at all.

For one thing, the Seahawks still have their No. 1 guy – All-Pro Richard Sherman, who has emerged in recent years as one of the NFL’s elite cover men. For another thing, the Saints have seen enough from backups Byron Maxwell and Jeremy Lane to know that Seattle has the depth to make its system work with the “next man up.”

“They have played, so we have film," Saints coach Sean Payton said. "I think the thing, and I told our players this, they are going to come in and play the same type of technique. You don’t see something change differently in regards to how they play a certain coverage or how they play a technique. [Overall, the Seahawks] are very, very good at playing bump and run outside. I would say it’s complementary to what they are also very good at, and that is rushing the passer.

“They are able to challenge offenses with … their ability to stay on a receiver in tight, very tight coverage. Sherman, the free safety [Earl] Thomas, the strong safety [Kam] Chancellor -- they have a lot of talented players, not only in the back end. They have a young linebacker corps that runs extremely well and a front that is very physical and very active. Couple that with crowd noise and an environment that is uniquely different, you have a formula that is successful, and you’re seeing it right now.”

The Seahawks are tied for the NFL lead with 16 interceptions this season. And they’re second in the NFL in passing defense, allowing just 180.4 passing yards per game.

“Their secondary is full of a bunch of ball hawks,” Saints quarterback Drew Brees said. “They are guys that are around the ball all the time. Balls are getting tipped up; they have great ball skills, great awareness. That’s what their defense thrives on. …

“Sherman’s a great player, but they’ve got Earl Thomas who was an All-Pro last year. I’ve been in the Pro Bowl with him twice now, and I’m extremely impressed with him. He’s a guy who loves football. You can tell that he studies the game, studies every aspect of it. He wants to be a great player – not just a good player, a great player.”

It will be especially interesting to see how the Seahawks choose to match up against Saints tight end Jimmy Graham – whether they’ll stick with man coverage and whether they’ll use Sherman in that role.

Either way, the Seahawks still have more quality options than most teams that face the Saints.

Russell Wilson isn’t sure how to pronounce the last name of Saints safety Kenny Vaccaro.
But he is sure of one thing – no matter how you pronounce Vaccaro’s last name, he’s having an impact on the Saints’ much-improved defense.
Vaccaro was the only player mentioned by name Wednesday when Wilson was discussing New Orleans’ defense, a unit he is tasked with solving ahead of Monday night’s critical NFC showdown between the 9-2 Saints and his 10-1 Seahawks.
Wilson, the NFL’s sixth-rated passer, grouped Vaccaro in with both Roman Harper, Malcolm Jenkins and the other safeties for their abilities to make plays.
“They fly around,” Wilson said of New Orleans group of safeties. “They’re physical. They come downhill. They find a way to make a big play when they need it.”
The Saints’ defense is one of the best in the NFL against the pass, combining an aggressive pass rush with tight coverage.
The result is a unit that’s ranked third overall against the pass and seventh when factoring yards per pass play. They’re first in sacks per pass play, tied with four other teams with 37 this season.
“Those guys, the whole group attacks and (defensive coordinator) Rob (Ryan) has those guys on the move all the time so they’re difficult to nail down where they are,” Seattle Coach Pete Carroll said. “They have generated a bunch of problems and it has added to why they’re such a good pass defense and why it’s such a big challenge when you’re trying to move the ball when you’re throwing it against him.”
By Monday night, Wilson likely will easily recognize the Saints’ pass rush, led by defensive ends Cameron Jordan and Akiem Hicks.
Both have asserted themselves as players offenses must know where they are on the field.
“When we watched Cameron Jordan coming out, he was a very adept pass rusher in college,” Carroll said. “He had great style and moves and things. I think it just took him a little while to really blossom. I think he’s a key component.
“Akiem Hicks is making problems for everybody. He has had a great start to the early part of his career.”
Seattle has passed for at least 217 yards since tying a season low at 91 yards against St. Louis on Oct. 28. And in the game since, the Seahawks have only given up two sacks and thrown two interceptions.
The Saints, meanwhile, have at least three sacks in each of the past three games, kept the their opponent to less than 91 yards rushing in each of the past three games and held three of the past four teams to less than 140 net yards passing.
“This is a very, very good team,” Carroll said of New Orleans. “We can go anywhere you want to go and they’ve got guys that can make plays and do things. They’re exciting to watch and all that. We have great respect for them.”